Nyctophobia
by Moiyu
Summary: Nyctophobia: The fear of the dark or of night. Summary: During a storm, Whammy gets killed. L becomes depressed. But, when an old rival pops up, how are our characters supposed to solve a case while planning a funeral? ON HIATUS.
1. Macrophobia

**I DON'T OWN DEATHNOTE~**

Macrophobia - The fear of long waits

Don't even ask where I got this idea. I was suddenly hit by an idea lightning and it progressed from there. It does have a beginning, but the end I am still working out in my mind.

And the middle is the fun of writing it out~

So! -grins- I shall have the story begin here. Enjoy.

* * *

_Mello P.O.V._

The Kira Case is over.

Thank fucking God.

I was starting to get tired of hearing about how Kira is great and how he was one of God's children that came to Earth to rid us all of evil.

Fuck that shit. Kira is a psychopathic idiot thinking he can dominate the world. I think he was just power-hungry or something.

I remember the day that L told us he had caught and arrested Kira. We actually celebrated and then L told us that he was going somewhere else in Japan to continue his detective work and what not.

It was then that Near decided to have the guts to ask L if he could go with him. L said something along the lines of: of course. There is nothing denying your right for that.

Well, if Near goes, then there's no way I'm staying here. Near won't beat me. I won't let him. So, I asked L if I could come too. He said sure. The three of us and one of L's friends (which scared me; L had friends?) would be the best detective team to walk this earth. Then, it came to me. What about Matt?

L said, if Matt wants to come, then he can come. We were to pack our bags immediately and get on a plane for Japan in about two hours.

So, I went to my room that I shared with Matt and started packing. Curious Matt looked at me and asked where I was going.

"Japan," I had replied. "We're going to be detectives with L."

"We?"

I nodded. "That's right. So get packing you slow-poke."

And we packed and went to Japan. I was fourteen at the time.

It started off all awkward and strange. Especially when us three Whammy kids met L's friend, Light Yagami. I didn't like him to start with. He looked so cocky and full of himself. But there was something about him that I couldn't put my finger on. He was off somehow. Like, he wasn't totally complete or something.

L didn't explain much about Light. He just said how they worked together and solved the Kira case together. Whatever. If L could put up with Light Yagami, then I could too.

Over the years, we had all pulled our own weight and had managed to solve hundreds, maybe thousands of cases together. It's been...what; nine years? Ten? My birthday was about a week ago and I turned twenty-four...so...yeah, a little over ten years. We've all managed to stay on a certain ground with each other.

Near was the only one that always seemed like a loner though. It was kinda strange. Where ever L went, Light went and vice versa. I asked L once and he just said they were used to it. But, then again, Matt and I do the same thing. Where ever I go, he goes. He's always been like that though; a puppy always willing to do whatever he can for his master.

Don't get me wrong though. Matt is able to do whatever he pleases.

I guess I'm getting carried away; I should probably get to what I was getting to. There is a bad ass storm going on outside. Raging rain and some crazy wind. I whistled lowly. "I don't think we'll be doing anything any time soon," I said.

Matt looked out the window and nodded in agreement. "It looks really bad out there," He commented.

This got Light and L's attention. They looked up almost in unison. "I do hope the power does not go out," L said in his monotone voice. He put his thumb to his lips and it almost seemed like he was telepathically telling the storm not to knock the power out.

"I agree. If the power goes out, I'm going to lose all of this work," Light said.

I rolled my eyes. "What work? You've been staring at that website for about two hours now," I deadpanned and grabbed a chocolate bar off the coffee table in front of me. "and don't deny it, Yagami."

"Oh, be nice, Mells," Matt said and elbowed my side. "this is his life; he's probably just getting bored."

And then the power went out.

"Dammit," Light deadpanned.

The emergency lights came on and we all sort of slumped in our seats. What's a genius supposed to do without a computer?

"Lets play a game," I said.

"No," Near shot down that idea almost as quickly as I had said it.

I made a face. "Well jeez, Mr. Negative." I snapped off a piece of my chocolate and sent dagger eyes at the albino boy.

"L, would you like me to go get the back-up laptops?" Whammy asked curiously.

L nodded. "Please," He replied and Whammy walked out of the room.

It's been about two and a half hours since Whammy left.

"Where is he?" I demanded.

"If we knew, we probably would've told you, Mello," Matt replied.

I glared at him. I was on my third chocolate bar and getting pissed. Whammy isn't the kind of person to skip out on this kind of thing. If L wanted him to do something, he would jump off a bridge to do it.

...Hypothetically speaking.

I finally stood up. "C'mon Matt. We're going to go and look for him," I said.

Matt shrugged and put down his PSP. He stretched like a cat. "Lets go."

I grabbed a flashlight (the emergency lights are only on for three hours) and then lead the way out of the room and down the hallway.

"You know...it's kind of creepy how quiet it is. You can literally hear the wind pounding the side of the building," Matt commented.

Yes Matt. Thanks for creeping me out. Of course, I didn't say that out loud. It would've sounded weird; I don't get creeped out by anything. Instead, I said, "What if Whammy got lost?"

"That's crazy Mello. Whammy wouldn't get lost; his sense of direction is incredible," Matt said.

I rolled my eyes. "But he's old. Old people get lost easier than normally aged people," I said.

Matt scoffed. "Mello, you're an idiot. Whammy is kind of like trained not to get lost and what not," He replied.

"Whatever!" The emergency lights went out and I flipped on the flashlight. "Do you know where the back-up laptops are? Maybe that's where he's at."

"Check the lobby."

So, Matt and I walked downstairs and into the lobby. No Whammy and no back-up laptops. "Any other ideas?" I asked.

Matt shrugged. "Maybe-..."

Matt never finished his sentence. I had shined the light around the room and stopped on a figure laying on the floor in the corner of the room. "Matt...is that...?"

"Whammy!" Matt ran forward and got on his knees in front of Whammy's slumped form. "Oh shit Mello, come here!"

I got closer and got on my knees next to Matt. It was then that we realized Whammy had been murdered. Whammy had been brutally stabbed in the stomach a few times and his throat was slit. Whoever did this wanted him to suffer.

Matt looked at me with worry etched onto his face. I was sure mine looked no different. "Fuck; we better get back upstairs!" I said.

"What? We can't just leave him like this!" Matt pointed out.

I gave Matt a look. "What if the murderer is still here? We have to warn the others!" I said.

We were up and running in seconds. We got to the room in about twenty seconds flat. Not bad for running up seven flights of stairs.

We entered the room at the same time and slammed the door shut. I locked it and we both slid to the floor with our backs against the door.

"What is wrong with you two?" Light demanded.

"We found...Whammy...he was..." I took a deep breath and tried to say it again. It didn't work out too well.

"Would you spit it out already?" Light said and looked annoyed.

Matt took a deep breath. "Whammy was...murdered," He said.

Silence echoed around the room. The only sound was our heavy breaths.

L was the one that decided to break the silence. "I beg your pardon?" He sounded worried and scared and sad at the same time. It was the very first time that I heard his monotone voice break.

"Whammy was murdered," I confirmed. "Stabbed multiple times...and his throat was slit." I swallowed, got to my feet, and then helped Matt to his. "We didn't know if the murderer was still here or not...so we got the Hell out of there."

L looked like he had a hard time processing this. His face was confused and worried at the same time.

"L? Are you okay...?" Light asked cautiously.

L said nothing. He stared at me for a moment as if wondering if I was lying or not.

I stared back. "...I'm sorry..." I said quietly.

L got to his feet and went back into detective-mode. "If the murderer is still here, then it is necessary to leave immediately. I have a back-up place if something like this ever happened," He said in his monotone voice. "follow me."

So we grabbed a few things (chocolate, video-games, a puzzle, and a piece of cake) and L lead the way to a secret door. I had always thought it was a closet, but apparently not.

L opened the door and there was a staircase that went on forever! We walked for what felt like half an hour, but what was really about five minutes.

When we got to the bottom, we were in the parking lot. "Who would like to drive?" L asked simply.

"I'll do it," Light said. "which car?"

L lead the way to a mini-van and gave Light the keys. We all got in, Light started up the car, and we were out of there.

"Jesus! Look how bad the roads are!" I commented.

"I can barely see five feet in front of me and I don't even know where I'm going. I'm going to have to go really slow..." Light said and sighed.

L pointed down the road. "Down this road and take the first right," He advised.

So, decimeter by decimeter, we made it to some fancy house that L wanted us to stay in.

But, because of the God damn rain, we were all soaking wet.

"...If I had known we would've ended up like this," Matt shook his head, sending sprays of water everywhere. "I would've brought extra clothes."

"Matt, we _all_ would've brought extra clothes," Light pointed out.

L hestiated. "You can find rooms upstairs. I am going to go to my room. ...If you'd excuse me..." He quickly made his exit and went upstairs.

Light frowned a little and followed after L.

"Well, I'm off to find a room then." Near made his own exit and he made it fast.

I looked at Matt. "Well, I guess it's just you and me then," I said and went over to the fridge. I pulled it open and grinned. "Dinner for two?" I asked.

* * *

In the morning, Matt and I were the first ones downstairs. Everyone else was probably awake; we were just only ones able to make it down those dangerous set of stairs.

Matt and I both almost tripped down them. Damn evil stairs, I swear. I think they're out to get me. It is so on! They won't get me...I know they won't....

"Hey, Mells? You're scaring me," Matt said and pulled me out of my train of thought.

"What? How?" I asked.

Matt blinked. "You've got that evil look in your eyes like you might kill somebody," He deadpanned.

...Evil stairs... "I was just thinking about yesterday," I lied. "...I hope L's okay, too. He looked...broken."

"Of course he looked broken. Whammy was everything to him. I wonder how L's going to adjust to this..." Matt trailed off.

I frowned a little. "He's gonna be pissed. Someone murdered the man that was like a father to him," I said simply.

Matt shrugged. "I don't know...L's not the kind of person that would be pissed off about this. I think he'd be more upset and sad than pissed off...but maybe I'm wrong. I don't know L as well you do," He said.

"You may not know L, but you know people Matt," I pointed out. "you might be right." I ruffled his hair and grabbed a chocolate bar out of the fridge.

Matt made a face. "What was that?" He asked.

"What was what?"

"You just touched my hair...what was that?"

I shrugged and opened up my chocolate bar. "I wanted to ruffle your hair. Is there something wrong with that?" I asked.

Matt hesitated. "No but...nevermind..."

"Whatever floats your boat, Matty." I sat down at the table and snapped off a piece of my chocolate. Delicious.

Matt looked a little lost for a moment. "You seem...different," He said and sat next to me.

"Different how?" I asked curiously.

"Different like..." He smirked. "mellow."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh ha-ha. You're hilarious," I said sarcastically.

"No, I'm serious. You're like content. It's strange. There's usually something on your mind that makes you not so content or something. You're never really calm," He explained.

Really? "Are you serious?" I asked.

Matt nodded. "Yeah," He said and shifted uncomfortably. "you worried me sometimes. I think you work too hard; you're turning into L."

"Honestly Matt, I am nothing like L," I said.

"I know," Matt replied and the conversation ended there.

I would've brought it back up, but it just didn't seem right. I was "mellow" as Matt had put it.

And then Near walked downstairs and my "mellowness" sort of went away. There was something about Near that always set me off. The way he always just knew everything or how his calm face never broke. Ever.

"Good morning Matt, Mello," Near said simply. He took a seat at the table across from us.

Matt nodded a little. "Hi Near," He said politely.

"Ngh." I took another bite of my chocolate.

Near apparently didn't take my response to heart. "Have you two seen Light or L this morning?" He asked curiously.

Matt shook his head. "We got down here like five minutes ago," He replied.

Near shrugged. "Okay," He said.

"Hey Near, did you trip down the stairs?" I deadpanned.

Near blinked. "No...Mello, I didn't," He replied.

I stared him dead in the eyes. "You didn't?" I asked.

"No."

"Whatever." I turned my attention back to my chocolate and tuned them both out.

I only tuned back in when I saw L and Light walk down the stairs.

"Good morning," L mumbled. His thumb was against his lips and I almost didn't hear him say it.

"Morning," Matt said happily. "This is a really nice place L; how did you come across this?" He asked, easily slipping into a conversation.

Sometimes, I wished I could do what Matt did. Matt could easily make conversation with virtually anybody. Hell, I bet he talks to the dead too. There's something about Matt that none of us has. He has a sort of easy-going vibe or something; I don't know. It's different though...

"So, when do we leave?" Near asked and that broke me out of my train of thought.

L hesitated. "As soon as possible. We need to get back to the headquarters to make sure Whammy's body is still there. Then, we can start our investigation."

I made a face. "When we get there, can we take showers or something first? I had to sleep in these clothes and trust me, wet leather is _not _comfortable after twenty-four hours."

L looked like that hurt him somehow. "Of course, Mello," He said.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Light asked and that somehow just broke all of the tension in the room.

* * *

When we got back to the headquarters, L was shaking. I think he was feeling too many emotions at the same time. So, Near, Matt, and I gave him privacy and went to go take showers and what not. Apparently, Light didn't feel like doing that. He felt like staying with L.

I am now starting to call him Light Bastard Yagami. His middle name will now and forever be Bastard.

When Matt and I got to our room, I collapsed on my bed and rubbed my eyes.

"You okay, Mello?" Matt asked curiously.

I nodded. "Yup. Just fine." I said.

"What's bothering you?" Matt deadpanned.

I hesitated. "Guess."

Matt rolled his eyes. "You're really going to play that game, Mello?" He asked.

"Guess," I repeated.

"Alright, fine. I think what's bothering you is this whole Whammy ordeal," Matt said simply.

I shrugged a little. "Maybe..."

"Maybe...?" Matt sat next to me and poked my side.

I squirmed and sat up. "Don't poke me," I said.

"I won't poke you if you tell me what's bothering you," Matt replied.

Sometimes, Matt drives a really hard bargain. "Alright. Deal. What's bothering me is..."

Matt waited patiently. "Is...?" He asked.

"Can I just say you were right? I mean...we found Whammy's dead body...it's sickening and it's bothering me," I replied quietly.

Matt stared at me for a moment. "Mello...you're scaring me," He said.

That surprised me. "Scared you how?" I asked.

"You said I was right which is something you barely ever do," Matt replied.

"Oh, shut up." I threw a pillow at his face.

Matt took the pillow and threw it at the ground. "I'm going to go take a shower before you," He said with a smirk.

"Bastard!" I said and he grabbed clothes and quickly retreated to the bathroom. I smiled and rolled my eyes. What a dork.

* * *

FIN

AN:// -grins- Good huh? I had write that for about...four hours? Not straight; apparently other people in the house want to get on the computer too. This is why I need another laptop!

My old one melted from the inside. D: WTF right? And I'm not lying either. It was sitting on my bed for like two hours (not even turned on) and then it was just melted!

Well, whatever. Reviews make Near and Light talk more~~~!


	2. Epistemophobia

**I still don't own Death Note. Don't even ask.**

Epistemophobia - The fear of knowledge.

* * *

_L's P.O.V._

Just hearing about the murder was sickening and disturbing. Having to look at it, is about one thousand times worse. Being stabbed and having a slit throat was only half of it. There were cuts all over his face and arms. I couldn't even look anywhere else; I felt sick. I turned my back on Whammy's dead body and tried to take a deep breath.

"L?" Light asked cautiously. "do you want to stop?"

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to go away from all of this. But I couldn't. I was a detective first. A human second. "No, Raito-kun. I'm okay." And I went back into detective-mode. I tried to pretend that it wasn't Whammy lying dead on the floor. It didn't work, but it kept my mind occupied.

After about ten minutes, Light and I alone had made an amatuer autopsy report.

"Do you think we should get the police involved?" Light asked.

I hesitated before answering. If the police got involved, they could be a nuisance, but without them, we couldn't get a real autopsy report. I rubbed my temples in frustration. "Yes. I'll go make the call." I went to leave, but then Raito's hand was on my shoulder.

"L, you don't have to do this," He said clamly. "we can just let the police take over." He was obviously genuinely concerned about my well-being. I noticed that this seemed to happen a lot nowadays. He would simply say that if I didn't want to, we could stop. He acted as if I had a choice in all of this.

"Raito...you do not understand. I have to do this. Whoever killed Whammy needs to be brought to justice." I didn't even turn around to face Light. There was something in me that realized, if I looked at Light I would back down and give it all up.

"I understand that much, L, but you're still human. This loss has to have affected you in some way. ...And if it hasn't, then I feel sorry for you."

This, I think, angered me more than it should have. I brutally pulled myself away from Light's grasp. "The last thing I need, Raito, is your pity." And then, I went upstairs with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

* * *

_Near's P.O.V._

The police have been here for about an hour. Already they have questioned us all and taken Whammy's body away. L made a scene, protesting that he wanted to go with, but Light managed to persuade him to stay.

The police are currently downstairs, investigating. L told us that we had to stay upstairs while they search for finger-prints and any sort of clues. Mello is already angry, Matt is bored, and I have already finished my second puzzle.

"Can't we do anything besides wait?" Mello asked.

"That's what half of this job is, Mello. Waiting and watching and analyzing," Matt replied.

Mello rolled his eyes. "You make it sound interesting."

I never really quite understood that duo. They are almost the polar opposite of each other. Where Matt is calm and collective, Mello is always making rash decisions and impatient. Mello is like a short fuse and Matt is like that water that puts the fuse out. I still don't understand it.

"Near? Earth to the albino! What are you staring at?" Mello's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing," I said calmly. "I was merely thinking."

Mello rolled his eyes. "Merely thinking," He mocked me under his breath.

Another thing that's different about them; Mello thinks he's better than everybody else. Matt knows his place.

* * *

It was about five p.m. when the police left. We were all, with the acception with a few words here and there, quiet. The only sound, really, was the tapping of computer keys.

Mello broke the awkward silence. "We should go out for dinner," He deadpanned.

Light gave him a look. It was the sort of look that you would give to someone if you thought they just said the most idiotic thing in the entire world.

"What?" Mello asked, slightly annoyed by Light's 'look'.

"Do you really want to go out and eat on a day like this?" Light rebounded. His voice was sharp and there was a slight twinge of anger in the way he sat.

Mello slumped in his seat on the couch. "Starving isn't going to help anybody," He mumbled.

"There's plenty of food in the fridge," Light said coldly and turned back to his computer.

I don't understand why the two don't like each other. They're also very bi-polar with each other. In seconds, one calm conversation can turn bitter and sharp. I haven't seen them actually hurt each other, but I think they've hurt each other's prides before.

"Well, I think it's a good idea~!" Matt said, agreeing whole-heartedly. "c'mon Mells! We'll go out to eat." He stood up and grinned happily.

I hestitated before daring to ask, "can I go with?"

Mello stood up and didn't say anything for a moment. "Okay," He said.

Matt smiled some more. "I'll drive," He said and pulled out his keys to his camaro. It was then that I wished I had never asked to go; camaros (I figured this out a month ago) are designer cars, made to go fast. Basically, they are killing machines on wheels.

I literally felt the color drain from my face.

_Mello's P.O.V._

The look on Near's face was priceless. I could've hugged Matt, he's such a genius! The last time Near rode with us in Matt's camaro, he almost got sick. But, then again, we had to go fast; we were being followed conspicuously (that means obviously for those of you who do not know).

"Don't worry Near, I'll drive the speed limit this time," Matt said assuringly.

"I do hope so..." Near got up and we left.

Sadly, Matt did drive the speed limit. "Where are we going anyway?" Matt asked curiously.

"Any fancy restaurant. You pick," I said simply.

Matt hesitated for a minute, as if weighing his options. "Alright," He said and picked up the speed a little. Turns out, Matt picked some fancy place called...I don't even know. I didn't bother to read the sign. But, it was fancy.

I whistled lowly. "How did you know this place was even here?" I asked.

Matt shrugged. "I've driven by before and I wanted to check it out," He replied simply.

"Well, I approve," I said. We got a booth by the window. I sat by the window, Matt sat next to me, and Near was across from us. I could tell Near was uncomfortable. He's just like L when it came to public things; which makes me wonder why he wanted to come along in the first place. Maybe he just didn't want to sit in a room with Light Bastard and a depressed L.

Whatever; I guess that's not really my problem. But still...he has that look like he's analyzing something all the time. It drives me crazy. Can't he stare at something else besides me?

_Matt's P.O.V._

You can literally see the tension forming from the two. They were both sending dagger eyes at each other, just waiting to see who will look away first. While they were both in their thoughts, I rolled my eyes a little. Their rivalry was so strange and not something I ever really understood. Mello told me once that it was an old Whammy House thing. Old habits die hard, I guess.

So, getting bored while just watching the two stare at each other, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I took one out and put it in my mouth. I was going to light it, but it was suddenly taken from my lips. "Hey!" I said and glared Mello.

Mello glared back. "There was a sign that said 'no smoking' or can you not read?" He asked.

I mumbled under my breath and pouted a little. I hadn't had a cigarette since yesterday morning. I would've had one sooner, but I was preoccupied with being interrogated and trying to keep Mello at a temper level below explosive.

Mello playfully ruffled my hair. "Cheer up Matt. At least we're not in a room with Yagami and L. It'd be weird; those two in depression, I mean."

I huffed and then the waitress came up to us. "Can I start you off with a drink?" She asked with a small smile.

There was something familiar about her. She had blonde hair with two small pig-tails at the top. Her eyes were blue and they had a little shine to them. I frowned a little. _Who was she? _I tried to think back to some girls that I've known before, but I just couldn't think of-.

"Sir?" She asked. "what would you like to drink?"

Mello elbowed my side. "Water. He'll have a water," He said for me.

The girl wrote that down. "And for you two?" She asked.

"Mountain Dew," Mello said.

"Water," Near deadpanned.

The girl wrote it all down and grinned. "'Kay! I'll be back in a flash!" And she walked away.

"Jesus Christ Matt! What is wrong with you? You were just staring at her," Mello said.

I blinked. "I've seen her before," I said quietly.

"Whoop-dee-doo. That doesn't mean you should stare," He replied.

"No, Mello, you don't get it. When I can't remember things, it drives me insane." I rubbed my temples and wished I had a cigarette.

"I know where you've seen her," Near said. "she's Misa Amane. She was a model and actress. She disappeared around the time Kira was caught. I think you've seen her on television or a magazine or something of the sort."

I frowned. "So what's she doing working as a waitress?" I asked curiously.

"That, I do not know," Near said with a small shrug.

"Misa Amane..." I let the name sink into my head for a moment. Misa...Misa...where have I heard it before? The name was so familiar and it obviously went along with the face. But I just couldn't connect it to anything. Wait a minute... "She 'disappeared' around the time Kira was caught?" I asked.

Near nodded. "That is what I have heard, anyway," He said.

Kira...why was that so-? "I remember!" I exclaimed.

Mello rolled his eyes. "Tell us, oh-wise-one, what you remember," He said sarcastically.

I gave him a look. "Misa Amane is the second Kira! Remember? L told us who every single one of the Kiras were. The first one was um...that one guy, the second one was Misa, and the third one was that Higuchi guy," I explained. I felt quite accomplished, really. I didn't think I ever would've remembered that; I never paid attention to any speeches anyone gave at Whammy's.

"Alright, so Misa was the second Kira. So?" Mello asked.

"So?! What do you mean so?! Misa was thrown in jail, that's what L said. If Misa was in jail, how can she be out here and how can she be our waitress?" I rebounded.

Mello blinked as if taking it all in. I was right, and he knew it. Misa is probably back for revenge or something... "How could she break out of jail? From what L told us, Misa is dumber than a post," Mello deadpanned.

"How should I know? I wasn't there," I mumbled.

"Matt may be onto something. I think we should tell L about this," Near said.

"Of course. The loyal L wannabe wants to tell L about something we're not even sure of," Mello growled coldly. "and because of the mood he's in, I am pretty sure this is something he does not want to hear about. He probably won't even believe us anyway."

That got Near and I to shut up. Mello was pissed but...I really couldn't figure out why. The only thing I did was say that Misa was the second Kira and-.

"Here you are~" Misa came back with a tray and all of our drinks on it. "Water for you, water for you, and a Mountain Dew for you." She set down all of the drinks and grinned. "Are you ready to order?" She asked.

Mello picked up his drink. "Actually, we were just leaving," He said simply.

"Leaving?" Misa asked, as if she didn't quite understand.

"Yes, you blonde-headed idiot. Leaving as in not going to stay here any longer." Mello stood up abruptly. "now could we _please_ pay for these damn beverages and get the hell out of here?"

"U-um, sure. Ah...go around to the...the front. You can pay up there for your drinks," Misa stuttered.

Mello looked at Near and I. He was pissed off so much, Near and I didn't dare say a single word. We got to the front, paid, got in my car, and left. But, I wasn't the one driving. Mello was. And he was going really, really fast. Near was gripping his seat like a cat in water and I was trying not to do the same.

When we got to the headquarters, Near was the first one out. I was so surprised when he didn't hug the ground and say happily, "LAND!" But then again, that would've been the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. So, imagining it was just fine too.

Once we got upstairs, Mello grabbed a chocolate bar and brutally ripped it open.

"Jeez, pissy much? What's wrong with you?" Light asked.

Mello growled deep in his throat. "Don't even start with me, Yagami."

Light looked at me for an explanation.

I shrugged a little. "When we got to the restaurant, our waitress was, I'm not lying, Misa Amane," I replied.

Both Light and L stiffened at the name. "Excuse me? Misa?" Light asked.

I nodded. "You know; blonde hair, pig-tails, blue eyes," I described.

"I know what she looks like," Light confirmed.

"Just making sure..."

"And she was your waitress?" Light asked.

"I thought I already said this."

"That's impossible. She couldn't have been...she's supposed to be......L? Do you think that it really could've been Misa?" Light asked and looked at the older man.

L hesitated. "It's possible..." He said.

Light turned around and started typing really fast on his computer. He was probably checking to make sure that I wasn't lying or something. "What's the big deal anyway? Wasn't the thing that she killed with taken away or something?" I asked.

"You don't really get it, Matt. Misa was obsessive with me. She literally clung to me. I had to get a restraining order against her, but she broke that anyway. If she's back then...I swear to God if she's back I'm going to be really pissed off," Light explained.

I sat down next to Mello. "Sounds like a creeper," I commented lightly.

"You have absolutely no idea what this girl will do just to get to me," Light deadpanned.

"That sounds creepy on so many levels," I muttered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mello smirk. At least he wasn't completely pissed off anymore.

After a few minutes of listening to Light tap loudly on the computer, he came up with an answer. "Misa really did break out of jail. Look at this; Misa begged the guard at her cell to let her go, saying that they had the wrong girl. She acted like she was an innocent and the guy actually bought it and let her out (1). Well...fuck..." He said.

"Yes. I think 'well fuck' sums it up rather nicely," L agreed in his monotone voice. That almost made me bust out laughing. L sounded somewhat like his old self again.

Light hesitated. "So...what are we going to do?" He asked.

L shrugged. "Well first, we have to make sure that it really is Misa and not some fan dressing up as her. People apparently do this nowadays," He said.

"Yeah L. It's called 'cosplay'. It's actually really popular," I added. "plenty of people do it and there's actually like conventions and stuff for it."

Mello gave me a weird look.

"What?" I asked.

"You're such a freak," He said and snapped off a piece of his precious chocolate.

Jee, thanks for the confidence boost Mells.

"Matt, what restaurant did you go to? Maybe, Light and I can go and confirm that it really was Amane-san," L suggested.

Oh shit. I didn't think someone would actually want to know the name of it. "Uh...actually...I didn't look..." I said guiltily. "I'm sorry. I never paid attention to what it was called, I just knew it was fancy."

"It was Mitsuyoshi (2)," Near informed them.

"Thank-you, Near," L said.

I felt like an idiot. I slumped in my seat and sighed a little. "Oh, get over it, Matt. I didn't know the name of it either," Mello said.

"You're just saying that to cheer me up," I mumbled.

"No. I don't do that. I'm serious," Mello deadpanned.

I looked at him. "Fine."

"Matt," L interrupted. "do you think you could give us the directions as to where Mitsuyoshi is?"

I nodded a little. "Of course I can, L," I said and went over to the computer. They had pulled up a map and I pointed to where the place was.

"Well, Raito-kun, it seems that we have another case to solve," L said.

Light smiled a little. "It seems we do."

* * *

FIN.

(1) This is not my idea of breaking out of jail. I got it from the book The Masque of the Black Tulip which is the second book in the Secret History of the Pink Carnation series. It is not my idea and I do not take credit for it.

(2) Mitsuyoshi is a real restaurant in Stanton. It got a full five stars in every category. It's not as fancy as I wanted it to, but it's still five star. Here is the info:

Restaurant Name:

MITSUYOSHI

Address:

12033 Beach Blvd.,  
Stanton, CA 90680

Telephone No.:

(714) 898-2156

Business Hours:

Lunch  
11:30am-2:00pm (Tue-Fri)  
Dinner  
5:00pm-9:30pm (Tue-Thu)  
5:00pm-10:00pm (Fri-Sat)  
5:00pm-9:00pm (Sun)

Closed :

Monday

Average price:

Lunch $ 8.00~ UP  
Dinner $ 12.00~ UP

Credit Card :

VISA / MASTER / AMEX / DISCOVER

Parking:

Self Parking

Reservation:

-

Max number of seats:

96

Seats of Private Room:

-

Dress code:

Casual

Coupon:

-

Beverage kinds:

Beer / Sake / Shochu / Wine

Food Style :

Kaiseki or Kappo / Sushi/  
Soba or Udon

Restaurant Style:

Family / Casual


	3. Dikephobia

**I dO nOt OwN dEaTh NoTe. aNd JuSt To ExPrEsS tHiS, I hAvE wRiTtEn WeIrDlY.**

I also do not take full credit for this chapter. **Stawberry-luv-x3 **helped me out with a few things I had trouble thinking about.

Dikephobia - The fear of justice.

* * *

_Light's P.O.V._

When we got to the restaurant, I realized just how much I _despised_ Misa Amane. That creature is something made up of annoyance, ignorance, selfishness, and something along the lines of obsession. If there is one person in the world that would kill themselves over the smallest thing, it would be her. She is simply just dumber than a post.

The minute she saw us, recognition was in her eyes. She knew us, but nobody else knew that besides us and her. Also, she was clearly pissed off. I guess it's something about how she clung to me, but I can tell when she's pissed. She has a slight slouch and her voice changes somehow. It's also in her eyes.

When L and I were seated, Misa made her move. She quickly came over to us with a pen and a pad of paper. Her knuckles were white from gripping the pen so hard. "Hello. I am Misa, I will be your waitress. Can I start you off with a drink? My suggestion is the Backstabbing Liar which is an alcoholic drink," She said, trying to keep her calm.

"No thank-you, Misa-san. We would just like a water to start off with," L said simply.

Misa's left eye twitched. I really hoped she didn't break the pen. If ink splattered everywhere, she would just be pissed off even more. An idiot that is pissed off can really suck. "Right. Water. I'll be right back." Then, she turned on her heel and left.

I looked at L and L looked at me. "Well, Raito-kun, I think it really is Amane-san. Nobody else would suggest an alcoholic beverage called the 'Backstabbing Liar'," He said with a straight face.

I almost cracked up. L saying Backstabbing Liar with air-quotes is funny.

But, in moments, Misa came back with a tray of two glasses. They were obviously not water. "What is this?" L asked as he picked up the glass.

"That is water," Misa deadpanned like it was obvious.

"Water?" L looked amazed. I brought the glass to his lips and then he stopped. "This is not water."

Misa blinked. "Yes it is. It's got ice in it and it's in a water glass. It's water," She said.

L tilted his head a little and set the glass down. "There is .2% chance that this beverage is actually water. Water is clear and when ice is inside, small bubbles usually form. For one, this is not clear, and secondly there are large bubbles but not small bubbles. Also, water does not have scent. This smells similiar to alcohol. Specifically beer...ah, 64, the American beer, if I am correct."

Misa looked dumbfounded. "How the hell did you know?!" She bursted.

"Simple observations. Besides, you should've gotten a colored glass to put this in; preferably red. Red covers up color. And you should've at least tried to get rid of the scent and added lemon on the side. A straw would've been prefered also, but I suppose beggers cannot be choosers," L explained.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Ryuzaki?" Misa finally demanded. It was actually a little strange. She was referring to L as the alias he used during the Kira case.

"Ah, but the real question would be, what are _you_ doing here, Amane-san? You are supposed to be in jail," L pointed out.

"So is Light-kun! Light-kun should be in jail too! I'm not the one that started the whole mess! I'm not the one that should have to go to jail for Light-kun's mistakes!" Then, she turned to me. "I am so sorry, Light-kun. Misa doesn't mean to be mean to you, but Misa is trying to make a point. Forgive Misa."

I rolled my eyes. Like Hell I would forgive her. "Misa, there is a reason why I'm not in-."

"Raito-kun does not have to explain himself to you, Amane-san. And really, you should at least try to keep your voice down. If people learn that you were Kira well...lets just say it will not end very pretty," L said.

Misa fumed visibly. "You bastard! You're the one that took Light-kun away from me! You're the one that made him change his mind! You're the one that...that..." Tears brimmed her eyes. "Light-kun, please...please come back to me..." She said and the tears fell from her eyes.

L stood up suddenly. "I suppose we should take this to a more private place," He said and gestured me to stand up. So, I stood up, but Misa held her ground.

"No. I'm not going!" She said and stomped her foot.

"Misa, you're making a scene," I said lowly.

"Just...come with us, Misa. Maybe we can get you out of this whole jail situation. But you have to stay quiet and stop making such a big, damn deal about this. Okay?" I asked.

Misa swallowed and nodded her head. "Okay...Misa will go..." She said obediently.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw L roll his eyes in annoyance. "Let us go, then," He said and lead the way out. We got in the car (me driving, L shot gun, and Misa in the back) and I started driving.

"Um...L...where are we going anyway?" I asked curiously.

"Definitely not the hideout. They would ask too many questions," L replied.

"Thank-you, Mr. Obvious," I deadpanned.

"So, we'll go to the next best place. The back-up house," L continued.

I shrugged. Good enough for me. Then, I took a hard left. "Sorry. I almost missed the turn," I said.

* * *

Misa Amane is an infuriating creature. I don't know if I've said this before but she is just a straight up bitch! The way she talks like she's all high and mighty and the way she holds up her head like she knows exactly what's going on and what's going to happen next. Misa could be a diva if she really wanted to.

When we got to the house, Misa simply took a seat at the table. She looked up at us. "Well? What are we going to do here?" She asked.

"_We_ are going to do nothing. _You_ are going to stay here and you will not leave you will not make a scene," L deadpanned.

Misa stared at him. "Excuse me? I am not staying here alone. Either I have Light-kun stay with me or I go with both of you. You can't make me stay here, that's one of my rights," She said.

"Okay, Misa, we're not in America," I said. "you have no rights here; this is L's house. Secondly, if you don't stay here then we will just throw you back in jail and never visit and hope you rot in Hell."

Misa gasped. "Light-kun! How dare you say such mean things to Misa-Misa!" She exclaimed.

I don't think she really understood what I said. The only thing she processed was probably 'Stay or no Light'. I groaned in frustration. "Misa, seriously, would you at least try to comprehend what we're saying?!"

"Careful, Raito-kun. Comprehend is a big word; Amane-san might not be able to process that," L said.

I almost laughed. L had made a joke and it was actually funny.

Misa huffed. "I know what comprehend means, Ryuzaki. It means to understand or something like that. I'm not a complete idiot, you know," She said and folded her arms across her chest.

L hesitated. "Amane-san, can I ask you something?" He asked.

Misa shifted. "That depends. What are you going to ask, Ryuzaki?" She asked curiously.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I was forced here."

"No, Misa, you do not understand my question. I mean, why are you in this city, here?"

Misa hesitated. "Misa is here because Misa wanted to at least have a small glimpse of Light-kun every once in a while. Misa thought that maybe if she saw Light-kun, she wouldn't be so sad. Misa-Misa was able to see glimpses every now and again, though. Misa didn't mean to do anything wrong by coming here. She just wanted to have Light-kun back," She explained.

L frowned. "Amane-san does know that she broke the law, correct?" He asked.

"Yes. Misa knows this."

"And Amane-san did that for Raito-kun?"

"Yes. Misa did."

L hesitated. Now, it was just like he was thinking out loud. "Why would Amane-san do this? Raito-kun is obviously no longer interested in Amane-san; he actually never was...yet, Amane-san acts like Raito-kun will always love her and if Raito-kun never actually did then that means 84% of Amane-san's life is a lie..."

Misa blinked as if trying to understand what L was talking about. "I don't get it Ryuzaki; what are you talking about?" She asked.

"Amane-san, Raito-kun does not, nor will he ever, want you in his life. You knew this, did you not?" L deadpanned.

Misa hesitated. Then, she looked down at her skirt and said nothing.

L smirked a little. "So, I was correct. Amane-san knew that Raito-kun wanted nothing to do with Amane-san once she was caught and thrown into jail. Then, Amane-san tried to pretend that it never happened and Raito-kun would always be happy to see Amane-san, but he isn't and so Amane-san is sad that she-."

"Shut up, Ryuzaki! Shut up! You're wrong!" Misa yelled. "Misa knows...Misa knows how busy Kira was...Kira didn't always have time for Misa...Misa knew this...but Light-kun did. Light-kun had time for Misa. Light-kun knew Misa. Light-kun will always love Misa...it is Kira that does not like Misa. Kira is the one that manipulated Misa. Light-kun is not Kira because Light-kun was in love with Misa," She said.

"...88% of Amane-san's life is a lie," L corrected himself. "Amane-san, Raito-kun _was_ Kira. Raito-kun never liked you. Raito-kun manipulated you and so did Kira because Raito-kun was Kira. Past-tense though. Raito-kun is no longer Kira and he never will be ever again," He explained.

"No! Kira and Light-kun are two different people! Misa is right and she knows it! Kira is different than Light-kun. Kira-!"

I had, had enough. This was getting ridiculous. "Would you two just shut up already! Jesus! You sound like an old married couple or something!" I exclaimed.

Misa made a face. "An old married couple with Ryuzaki?! Misa would never!"

I groaned. "That's not what I-! ...Nevermind. Look, we're not going to get anywhere by yelling at each other. And L, your observations aren't helping anything either. So if you could just knock it off, I think it would save us a bitch-load of time," I deadpanned.

L hesitated for a moment. "Okay, Raito-kun. But I have to say this: observations don't stop just because you want them to." And then he went quiet and waited for me to continue.

I rolled my eyes a little. Really L? You had to go and say _that? _He was probably analyzing me inside of his head or something. Oh well, I really don't care. Back to the matters at hand... "Misa. I get why you left and all but...was there any other reason to it at all?" I asked curiously.

Misa shook her head. "No. Misa only wanted to see you," She said.

Right. Obsessive fangirl. Of course. "Well, Misa, could you just stay here, in this house for us? Please? We need to ask you some more questions, but we have to ask them later," I replied.

Misa appeared as if she was thinking it over. "Fine, I will stay. But will I be able to see you again soon?" She asked, finally not using third person.

"Yes, Misa, you will. Just as long as you stay here," I replied and then looked at L. "Should we go back to the hideout and tell everyone of our findings?" I asked curiously.

L nodded a little. "Yes, but what shall we tell them? Amane-san broke out of jail to see Raito-kun?"

"That's what happened so...yeah...that's what we're going to tell them."

"Should we tell them that Amane-san is here, at this house?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. Mello would probably blow the place up if he figured out Misa was here," I replied.

Misa shifted uncomfortably. "When will you two come back?" She asked, interrupting us.

I shrugged and looked at L. "Sometime tomorrow," L said for me. "there are rooms upstairs. There aren't any changes of clothing though, so Raito-kun and I will have to go to where ever you are staying and get your clothes for you."

Misa looked disgusted at the thought. "I have _sleep_ in this?!" She asked and gestured to what she was wearing.

It did look rather uncomfortable. Misa's attire consisted of typical waitress clothing; a short apron, a skirt, stilettos, and a blouse. "Well, you can always take the shoes off," I said, trying to make a joke out of it.

"Misa cannot and will not sleep in this! She is outraged and needs a change of clothing at once!" Misa exclaimed unhappily. She folded her arms across her chest just to show that she was not joking around.

"Misa," I sighed. "we're not able to go to your house anytime soon. We have a case we need to be working on and going to your house is a lot of work we're not able to handle at the moment. Sleeping in that is just fine; but if you don't want to sleep in it for two nights, you'll shut your mouth and stop complaining," I deadpanned.

Misa thought this over. "Fine. Misa will sleep in this once. But if she has to sleep in it longer, she will leave, and she will be very, very upset with you, Light-kun," She said and stood up. "now, if you will excuse Misa; she is going to go find a room to sleep in." And then she went upstairs.

Good. That was one less thing I had to deal with for the rest of the day.

* * *

_Mello's P.O.V. (this is while L and Light are gone)_

When L and Light left, there was a strange silence that hung in the air. Near was sitting on his computer chair, staring off into space and twirling his hair. I don't know why he did that; it's such an annoying habbit. Although, it was less annoying than Matt's smoking habbit. I am going to force him to quit one day; once I give him a reason to. In fact, I was getting annoyed right now. Matt was smoking and gaming and I did not like it. At all.

I reached over and pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and gave him a look. "Stop smoking," I deadpanned.

Matt made a face. "Excuse me?" He asked, like he hadn't heard what I had just said. I hate it when he does that. He knows exactly what I said; he just tries to piss me off by making me repeat myself. That, is obviously not a very good idea. I can be very vicious when I am pissed off.

"You heard me, red-head. No more smoking. I want your cigarettes and lighter." I held out my hand, expecting him to give those items to me. "now."

Matt stared at me for a moment, behind his goggles. I would make him get rid of those too (annoying, red things. How the hell does he know what colors everything is if he's wearing tinted goggles all the time), but I know they're sort of "precious" to him or something. "Mello, I'm not going to quit smoking," He said and went back to his video-game.

What? Did Matt just say no...to me? "Matt," I hissed. "I'm done with your smoking. It is disgusting, and the only time you can smoke is when L isn't in the room and that's not often. So just give it up now. Besides, you're going to give us all second-hand smoke and that's not fair because we're not the ones smoking."

"No. Mello, I don't have to quit smoking just because you want me to. I don't complain when you sit there and eat chocolate all day; so you should suck it up and get over it," Matt said and put his attention back on his video-game.

Oh no he did not. "Suck it up and get over it?" I repeated through gritted teeth. Oh, the bastard was going to get it now. I tossed the useless cigarette I pulled from Matt's lips aside and pulled his PSP out of his hands. "All I do is eat chocolate. That is one thing. You, on the other hand, smoke and play video-games. That is two things. Make your choice Matt: cigarettes or video-games?" I dangled the PSP inbetween my thumb and forefinger just to make a point.

Matt frowned at me. "That's not fair, Mello. Technically, you pretending to rule over everybody else is another thing you should stop doing. So, we both have two. And Near has puzzles and he twirls his hair. That's also two. L eats cake and analyzes everything like a giant game. Also two. And Light...well, it's Light. He has his own faults," He explained. "so, technically, I should be able to smoke and game."

That was probably the worst thing he could have said. I pretend to rule over everybody else? What? Glaring at him, I whipped his PSP across the room and satisfyingly heard it crack against the wall next to the computers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Near flinch. Heh. Scared him too. But, I knew I had probably done the worst thing I could've ever done. Matt was pissed off.

"What the fuck Mello?! That was my PSP! My _only _PSP!" Matt exclaimed. "I don't break any of your chocolate! Why the Hell do you have to pick on _me?!_"

Pick on him? "You were egging me on and do not say that you weren't. Near heard you too. You were either trying to get me pissed off, or you were doing it unintentionally, but either way, you pissed me off," I pointed out. I hoped that was a good point too; I really don't have any good come-backs for Matt. If it was anybody else, sure. But Matt...not so much.

"Egging you on?" Matt repeated like I was crazy. "I was trying to prove a point!" Then, he stood up and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out his lighter. Then, he reached into his other pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He chucked both of those things at my face. "There. Happy?" Matt then stormed out of the room.

Was I happy? No. Not really. I probably just made my best friend hate me. Smooth, Mello. Real smooth. Groaning, I grabbed a chocolate bar off the coffee table and ripped it open. I bit down harder on it than I neccessarily needed to, but who the fuck cares? I was uber pissed.

"...Mello...? Can I say something...?" Near asked quietly from his corner of the room.

I hesitated for a minute. Did I really want to hear what Near had to say? No. But, whatever. I highly doubt I could get anymore pissed off. So, I turned and looked at him. "Talk, albino, before I change my mind and decide not to listen anymore."

Near wasted no time. "Don't you think that, instead of being completely blunt, you could've slowly talked to Matt about stopping his smoking. I think, little by little, he would've stopped. It would've taken more time but at least you wouldn't have temporarily lost a friend."

I did not need to hear this. Not from Near. I got up and grabbed my iPod off the computer desk. I took the earbuds and put them in my ears with unneccessary force. Then, I blared some random music and ignored everything.

* * *

_(Should I stop here? ...Yes...I should...but no! It took me three days to write this; so I will go on~!)_

_L's P.O.V._

When we arrived at the hideout, it was very tense and Matt wasn't even present. Mello was sitting on the couch with his iPod, blaring some sort of rock music, and Near was cowering in the corner. He was twirling his hair and barely even blinking. "We're back," Light deadpanned.

Near's eyes flickered towards us and then back at Mello. Something must've happened, but what, I wonder...

Mello then looked up and stopped the music. "So what did you find out about the bitch?" He deadpanned. He was definitely upset about something and because Matt wasn't in the room, he was obviously a part of it all too.

I hesitated for a moment, deciding if I should ask what was wrong first, or if I should tell them. "We found out that she broke out of jail to see Raito-kun. We don't know very much after that, though," I decided to say.

"Perfect," Mello said sarcastically. "an obsessive fangirl could be following Light around. How fucking wonderful."

"What happened here?" Those words did not come from me, though. Light was the one that had spoken. "you're all pissed off, Near's scared as Hell, and Matt's not even in the room."

Mello clenched his teeth. "Why don't you ask Matt? He'll be happy to tell you what happened, I'm sure," He hissed and looked away from us. He was glaring at something across the room. I followed his gaze across the room and saw something next to Light's computer. I strode over to the computer and picked it up.

"Ah...Matt's Playstation Portable...?" I asked and held it up. It was definitely his PSP, but at first glance, you wouldn't think that. It had been smashed against the wall by some obvious force. The screen was cracked and the back was sort of messed up in some way. "What happened to this?" I asked curiously.

"Who the fuck cares? It's a god-damn video-game," Mello growled.

Near made eye-contact with me. "Mello threw it across the room when Matt insulted him and would not listen to him," He deadpanned.

Mello muttered something that sounded like, L wannabe.

So that's what had happened. It started to make some sort of sense. And then I noticed a half-lit cigarette on the floor. That would probably leave a stain...I set down the PSP and picked up the cigarette. I put it in the garbage and stood in the middle of the room for a moment. "So, what had happened was, Mello was upset for some reason and took it out on Matt. He took the cigarette from Matt. Matt either was not paying attention or talked-back and Mello took his PSP. Matt either asked for it back or asked Mello what he wanted and Mello threw it across the room, thus breaking it. Matt got upset and left...am I correct?" I asked.

Mello stared at me for a moment. "Do you have to be so fucking right about every god-damn thing?" He asked and stood up suddenly. "Matt was right; you analyze everything like it's a fucking game. Life. Is not. A game. Whammy is obvious proof of that." Then, he grabbed his coat and stormed passed me.

"Where are you going?" Light asked.

"For a walk!" Mello left the room and slammed the door behind him.

I hesitated. "I was correct?" I asked Near.

Near nodded a little. "For the most part. It started because Mello wanted Matt to quit smoking. He deadpanned and took Matt's cigarette from him. If you noticed," Near pointed at where Mello was sitting. "Matt's lighter and cigarettes are there. Matt had thrown them at him and left the room when Mello broke his PSP."

"That makes more sense," I said thoughtfully.

Light ran his fingers through his hair. "So, basically, Matt and Mello are mad at each other," He said.

"Basically," Near agreed.

"Well fuck. That's just great. A pissed off Mello is one thing, but when he's pissed off and fighting Matt..." Light trailed off at the end. We all knew what he was thinking.

Chaos.

We weren't going to get anything done if 2/5 of us weren't making any progress at all. But, then again, we haven't made very much progress to begin with. "Raito-kun, can you call the police and ask if they've finished their autopsy report and see if they've found fingerprints? I want to get this case solved."

Light hesitated. "Of course, L, but...if they haven't made any progress, don't be upset. Okay?" He asked.

I didn't know if I could agree to that. If they hadn't made any progress then that meant that they either weren't trying or just simply weren't doing anything. I had a reason to be upset about that, did I not. But, I said, "Of course. I will not be upset."

* * *

A/N: Mwuahahah~! The end of my lovely chapter three~ Mattie and Mells are fighting; oh no!!! D: I wanted to put this in at a later chapter, but I have a really, really good idea and it's perfect for this!

Well, I suppose I really don't have very much more to say about this. Reviews make Matt lighten up a little~!


	4. Atychiphobia

**Note Death own not do I, sadly. ***read it backwards*** By the way, this is a really short but really meaningful chapter. Pay close attention to this one. -wink-**

Atychiphobia - Fear of failure

* * *

_Light's P.O.V._

The police have gotten absolutely no where with this entire case. The autopsy wasn't done, there were no finger prints found yet, and half of the police were on break 24/7.

Of course, I didn't tell L any of this. I summarized and said they haven't gotten much further yet. He looked annoyed, but just sighed and went back to sulking (or thinking. I can't really tell nowadays) in the corner of the room.

Because Mello wasn't in the room, it felt unusually quiet. Mello was always biting his chocolate just a little too hard and it'd make a noise. I didn't notice how silent it was without the explosive blond.

Now there was nothing I could do and I have to say it is completely and utterly boring. Just sitting and waiting for something, anything!, to come up is killing me on the inside very, very slowly. Too bad Mello isn't here; I think he would enjoy that scene of my death.

After about five minutes of nothingness, Matt comes back into the room. He looked sort of...lost. He stood in the doorway for a minute and then walked inside and took a seat on the couch. He didn't smoke or play video-games either. He just sat there and stared off into space. Well, I think he was staring; I couldn't tell because of his goggles.

Near, L, and I waited for him to speak. We didn't make it obvious, but we weren't exactly subtle either. We were all just sitting...waiting...until finally,

"What's with the awkward silence?"

Near looked like he wanted to smack his own forehead and L let out a little sigh of annoyance. I suppose they were hoping for something a little more entertaining or a least a little more emotional than that statement. The statement was so normal, so casual, if you didn't know Matt, you would've thought that there was nothing wrong with him.

"We were waiting for you to say something important to the matter at hand," L spoke up. "but you disappointed us. So if there is anything else you would like to say, we'd like to listen."

Matt just looked annoyed. He hesitated a moment before looking up at the ceiling. "Alright, L, what, exactly, do you want me to say?" He asked simply.

"That all depends on what-."

"I'm feeling?" Matt scoffed and looked at L. Then, he pulled his goggles off and threw them onto the other end of the couch. "When the fuck did you care about what anybody else felt?" He asked.

That was the first time Matt had taken off his goggles in front of us. I, for the first time, saw that his eyes were an emerald green. I was also surprised that he didn't have those lines around his eyes like most people do when they wear goggles for a really long time.

L blinked. He appeared to be surprised or something of the sort. "I've always cared about what you and everybody else felt. You might not have noticed, but I always cared."

Matt took this all in. "L," He started. "I don't want to continue this conversation. Please...just stop before I say something stupid."

L looked genuinely sad. "Alright," He said simply.

Matt hesitated before lying on his back and rubbing his eyes with his hands. L turned back to whatever he was doing and silence fell upon the room once more.

What was happening to us?

* * *

_Mello's P.O.V._

I was walking down a sidewalk when that feeling of being followed came over me. I frowned a little and stopped walking. Yeah, I was definitely being followed by something.

Or someone.

I quickly spun around to see nobody following me. Everyone had their heads down and were simply walking past me. Well, what the fuck?

I continued my walk for a while, ignoring the feeling, and trying to lose myself within my own thoughts. But after a few blocks, the feeling over came me once more and I felt somebody actually breathing down the back of my neck. I slowed my walk and the breathing continued. I stopped completely and the breathing turned into a dark chuckle.

I turned around again and there was nobody behind me. Well, nobody close enough to actually breathe down my neck. I rubbed the back of my neck in confusion. There had been somebody behind me. There had to have been! I don't just imagine things like that; I may be paranoid but my mind never goes into _that _much detail. The chuckle was so real...it had to have been there. It just had to.

This seemed to piss me off more than scare me. Why the fuck was somebody following me? I definitely hadn't made myself noticeable; I kept my head down and walked the same pace as about everybody else. Of course, I'm not Japanese, but there are plenty of other people that aren't Japanese here. Why the fuck did they pick me?

Finally realizing people were getting annoyed, I turned around and walked again. This time, I kept my head held high and my hands in my coat pockets where my two pistols were. If this bastard wanted to follow me, I'll make him never want to follow anybody ever again.

It didn't take long for the breathing to return. I almost smirked and then walked into an alley and stopped. "Alright, bastard, what the fuck do you want?" I asked without turning around. Inside my coat pockets, I made sure my guns were loaded and ready to fire if needed.

There was a chuckle directly behind me. There was a small click and someone spoke. "I want to play a game, Mello." The voice was using a voice-changer, like L uses for his cases when he talks to people he doesn't exactly know.

I frowned deeply. A game? This fuck-face wanted to play a game? I decided that, for now, I'd humor the mother fucker. "Alright, asshole. What game do you want to play?" I asked calmly.

The voice chuckled. "It's a game that involves not only you, but four other people," It said. "you know the four people, but I won't tell you who they are. Now, for the object of the game. You have to get back to your hideout in under five minutes or it'll be blown to smithereens."

Excuse me?

I turned around and pointed my pistols, but there was nobody behind me. How in the hell-?

"There are no rules. Your time starts now." There was a dark chuckle and then nothing.

I immediately broke out into a sprint, trying to fight my way through the crowd.

* * *

_4 minutes 50 seconds_

_Matt's P.O.V._

I was fuming visibly. I could tell that everyone could see just how pissed off I was. The looks on their faces just sort of said it all. I wish they would at least try to be a little subtle or something. They all had that 'I'm worried' look. I hate that look; it makes everyone who gets that look feel inferior or something along those lines.

Rolling my eyes, I looked at the clock next to the couch. 5:18 p.m. Light told me (I didn't even ask) that Mello had left a little over twenty minutes. ago.

In my mind, I was thinking of 101 things I could say to Mello when he got back. The first started with nothing or something snippy or bitchy or just down-right rude. The rest consisted of apologies or just something nice to say. I hated it when Mello was mad at me; it usually never happens. I'm so not used to it that I feel weird. I have a sort of lost feeling.

Don't get me wrong. I don't _need _Mello. It's just strange when he's not around. We've been best friends for so long...

I was pulled out of my train of thought by L speaking suddenly. "Light, the police have finished the autopsy report."

Light looked up. "Huh? How'd you figure that out?" He asked.

L pointed to the computer. "They emailed me."

Email? When did L have an email? Heh; his username was probably something like Cake-lover or something along those lines. Maybe it was just L-IS-GREAT or something. I frowned at myself. Who cares about his email?!

"-station. Maybe we can actually talk in person or something," Light was saying.

L hesitated. "I was hoping we could just call them and have them report to us what the autopsy was," He said sincerely.

"C'mon L; don't be a baby," I spoke up. "go to the police station."

L frowned. "Alright, fine. I will go if Matt goes." A small smirk emerged onto his face.

"Wait a minute, when was I dragged into this conversation?" I asked incredulously.

"When you decided to call me a 'baby'," L replied simply.

"Just come with us, Matt," Light said.

I smirked. Time to drag the albino into all of this. "Okay. I'll go if Near comes along," I said.

Near looked up at the mention of his name. "Pardon me? Was I just pulled into a conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with me?" He asked.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" I asked with a sly smirk.

Near sighed. "We're going to the police station, aren't we?" He asked.

L stood up. "Yes, we are. And I say we should leave a note for Mello. That way he doesn't worry when he comes back," He said.

"Mello wouldn't worry about that."

* * *

_3 minutes 21 seconds_

_Mello's P.O.V._

Shit, shit, shit! Why the fuck did my phone run out of batteries right when I needed it the most?! I would've chucked the thing, but I had more important matters at hand. How long had it been anyway? One minute? Two? Shit. And where the fuck was the hideout? Wasn't it somewhere nearby? It had to be!

As I was sprinting past another corner, I managed to look up at the street sign and keep going. Good, I was headed the right way. The steet was a name that I actually remembered. About four blocks left...but my legs were starting to fail me; it's been a while since I've done a full-out sprint!

Taking a deep breath, I slowed down a small bit and forced myself to relax a little and tried not to worry. Worry leads to doubt; doubt leads to panic; panic leads to mistakes; and mistakes lead to failure. I could not fail. Not this time.

* * *

_2 minutes 47 seconds_

_Matt's P.O.V._

L actually forced Light to write a note to Mello. I didn't see the point, but they all seemed to think differently. Once the note was written, though, we all got into a car and Light drove us to the police station.

The police looked relieved to see us.

"Thank God you're here! We have extraordinary news about the autopsy!"

L frowned a little. "Is this 'extraordinary news' good or bad?" He asked.

"Well, we're not exactly sure, but it's definitely different than most autopsy reports. Please, come with us."

So, us four followed two guys to a white room; the autopsy room or something. I was a little happy to see that they had put Whammy's body away or something. The two guys took us to the front of the room and pointed to pictures that were like X-rays.

"When we looked at Mr. Whammy's stomach again, we saw that it had actually been cut open at one point and some of his organs had been-."

I cut him off. "Look, before you go into full-blown detail, can I leave the room?" I couldn't help it. I was never able to stomach dead bodies or blood or just the describing of it.

The guy hesitated a minute and looked me over. "Sure. Just don't wander," He said.

"I'll go with you," Near spoke up.

* * *

_0 minute 58 seconds_

_Mello's P.O.V._

Damn it all to Hell! I was still too far away from the hideout! I could see it, but there was no way I could make it there in time! There was definitely not enough time for this.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Why did the one thing that I hate couldn't be stopped! Damn time! Damn it all to Hell!

Then, in a matter of seconds, I was in the building. I didn't even know how I got there so fast, but I was there, so I didn't question it. I just sprinted up the stairs and bursted into the room where everybody was supposed to be.

I mean exactly what I say. Where they were _supposed_ to be. They weren't even in there. Then, I saw a note on the coffee table. Obviously, Light's prissy-assed handwriting.

_Mello,  
We went to the police station. The police have an autopsy report and they might have a few finger prints. We should be back here around 6:50 or 7:00. Don't bother to wait for us with dinner; we can find something on our own if we really wanted to.  
By the way, you should really get around to apologizing to Matt or something. He's really starting to bum us all out more than we are right now. So really, just apologize or at least try and say something nice. The tiniest thing could make him happy too.  
Light_

You've got to be kidding me. I ran all the way here and the motherfuckers weren't even home?!

Then, the phone rang. I glared at it intensly and then, picked it up.

"_I was just seeing if you would take me literally. There wasn't ever a bomb here._" The voice chuckled darkly. "_Good night, Mihael. I'll talk to you soon._"

There was a faint click and then the voice was gone. Whoever this bastard is, he is messing with the wrong guy.

* * *

FIN


	5. Verbophobia

**I. Don't. Own. Death. Note. Period.**

Verbophobia - The Fear of words.

BTW, I recommend a song for this chapter. If you don't like rock, heavy metalish, or screamo, then don't listen to these that I am recommending. I recommend Paradise Lost by Hollywood Undead, Waking the Demon by Bullet for my Valentine, Pain by Hollywood Undead, From Yesterday by 30 Seconds to Mars, and The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars. Those are the main songs I listened to while writing this so...yeah.

* * *

_Mello's P.O.V._

I waited two hours.

Two whole _fucking _hours until they finally came back. I was not going to go easy on them. Oh no. I was going to give them hell for leaving like that. And I was definitely going to tell them about that fucking bastard that followed me.

When they came back, I made it obvious that I was pissed off. I was visibly fuming and biting just a little too hard on my chocolate.

Light walked in first and completely froze. Everyone filed in after him and wondered why he was just standing there.

Then they saw me and shut up.

I looked up at them and gave them the meanest glare I could muster up. I narrowed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then, I took another bite of my chocolate without looking away from them. I was not going to go easy on them at all.

L was the first to break the silence. "We're glad you're back Mello. We have news on Whammy's murder," He said simply.

"You have news on Whammy's murder?" I echoed coldly. "well I have news of my own and it's not fucking good news either. Do you know how pissed off I am, L? Do you?" I growled lowly.

"Did something bad happen while you were on your...walk?" This came from The Bastard's mouth.

I snorted. "Something bad. It's a lot worse than just something bad!"

"I'm sure it couldn't be as bad as you say it is. Maybe you're overreacting out of anger, Mello," L suggested.

This put me over the edge. Overreacting out of anger?! Just who the fuck did he think I was! I can control myself when I want to and I was definitely not overreacting! I quickly got up and decked L in the face. "Asshole!" I deadpanned.

Of course, even though L was surprised, he retaliated quickly and kicked me in the chest making me fall backwards.

Matt caught me just in time and then Light stepped in between us. "Enough," He said slowly. "we're not going to get anywhere by fighting. Mello, just tell us what happened while you were away," He said calmly.

How can the bastard always keep his calm?! I wanted to punch him too; I wanted to punch him really fucking hard. And then I realized Matt was still holding onto me, making sure that I didn't fall over again. Then, I heard him mumble something in Russian and I stopped completely. I couldn't help but smirk a little and shake my head. That little bastard just always knew what to say.

"Well? Mello? Are you going to tell us?" Light asked and I was pulled back into reality. Damn it.

I stood up fully, Matt let go of me, and I hesitated for a moment. "Do you really want to hear what I have to say, or are you going to just go and make idiotic accusations?" I asked simply.

Light frowned a little. "Mello, just tell us."

Fine. "Someone knows where we are what my name is," I deadpanned.

Silence echoed around the room. Finally they realized just how fucking serious this was!

"Do you know who this person is?" Near asked quietly.

I shook my head. "He followed me, but every time I turned around, he wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere," I tried to explain.

"How do you know that he knows where we're at?" L asked slowly.

"Because. He called this phone and he said-....nevermind what he said. He just knows that we're here."

"And how does he know your name?"

"He called me by my first name. I'm pretty sure that means he knows it."

L took this all in for a moment. Then, he looked at Matt. "Could you trace that call?" He asked.

Matt rolled his eyes. "Why couldn't I?" He asked.

"Good point. Would you please go do that?"

Matt almost looked like he wanted to protest. Then, he said sure and grabbed his laptop and sat down on the couch.

L looked back at me. "Now Mello, who do you think the person could be?" He asked.

I shrugged a little. "I didn't even hear his voice. He had one of those mechanical things that alters his voice; it's like the one that you had but it was a little deeper than yours," I explained.

L's eyes widened a little, as if realization had come to him. Then, he quickly went over to his desk and sat down on his chair. He quickly pulled up the internet and began typing at a fast speed. Which is weird because L usually didn't type all that fast; he refuses to use his entire hands, although Light has been trying to get him to do that.

"Who do you think it is?" Light asked curiously.

L hesitated for a moment. "If I'm correct...then it could be-."

"I traced the call," Matt deadpanned. "it was made from a phone on the other side of town. Where all the apartments and stuff are."

L's eyes seemed to get wider. "That's where the back-up house is," He said.

Light shared the same expression. "Oh fuck!" He exclaimed.

L quickly got up and went on a rant. "I want you three to stay here. Do not leave. Do not answer the phone. Lock every single door and constantly watch the surveilance," He commanded. Then he looked at Light. "you and I are going to go the the back-up house," he said simply.

Light nodded a little and opened up the door. Then, the two just left.

Near locked the door behind them and looked at Matt and then me. "What do you suppose that was about?" He asked.

* * *

_L's P.O.V._

Light is probably the only person that knew exactly what I was thinking. If that call was made from the back-up house, that would mean that Misa would be in danger. I do not care much for Miss Amane, but I know that she shouldn't have to die. Not yet.

Light was driving well passed the speed limit, but I didn't bother to say anything about it. We needed to get to the back-up house as soon as possible.

When we did get to the house, Light kicked down the door. "Misa?" He called out and took a careful step into the kitchen. "Misa?!" He called out again, louder this time. Worry was etched onto his face. Then, he looked at me. "I'll check upstairs," He said.

I nodded once and he went upstairs. I hesitated a moment before searching every room downstairs. After a few minutes, I heard Light yell my name from upstairs. I quickly ascended the stairs and found him in one of the master bedrooms. The immediate scent of blood came to me as I entered the room.

Light didn't need to say anything else. I saw exactly what had happened. Misa was face-down on the bed and the bed was almost completely covered in blood. The blood was pooled around Misa's unmoving body. Light was taking deep breaths. "Should I...turn her over?" He asked quietly.

"I think it would be necessary," I replied after hesitated for a moment. I really did not want to see Misa like this, though. I didn't want to see the front of her corpse.

But, I did not voice that. Light hesitated before carefully flipping Misa over onto her back. What surprised me the most, was the fact that Misa's shirt looked untouched, besides the fact that her blood was soaking through it. Misa's eyes were opened and Light quickly closed them. He swallowed hard and bit down on his lip. "...Should we...you know; take off her shirt?" He asked slowly.

I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't want to see, but as a detective...I nodded. "Please do," I said.

Light stared at me for a moment and then looked back at Misa. He swallowed hard and then lifted her shirt off of her body. The second he took it off, I knew there was a connection between her murder and Whammy's.

_

* * *

_

_FLASHBACK. 3RD PERSON._

_Once Matt had left, the doctor had continued explaining the autopsy report. "As I was saying, some of Mr. Whammy's organs were removed or moved around. Also, the cuts on his body appear to be...well, they look like English letters. Here is an I, an A, and there's an L. But those letters make no sense in any order. LIA, AIL, ILA, IAL, LAI, ALI," He said. "we thought there would be more letters somewhere else, but those are the only three."_

_L appeared to be thinking very hard about this. An L, an I, and an A...what could that mean? "It seems that we don't have all of the pieces to this puzzle..." He said quietly. "but, this also says that whoever did this is either bilingual or only speaks English."_

_"Or maybe, they're just writing jibberish. This couldn't really mean anything; it was just something that we all saw. Maybe whoever did this is just doing this to confuse us or maybe that's just how they decided to go about killing him..." The doctor pointed out._

_But L seemed to think differently. In his mind, everything had a meaning; it didn't matter if it was minor or major. "I see...is there anything that you found, Doctor?" He asked, deciding against telling the doctor his thoughts about it._

_The doctor hesitated for a moment and thought about it. "Well...we saw that it wasn't the cuts that killed him. Mr. Whammy had been strangled."_

* * *

_END FLASHBACK. L's P.O.V._

The first similarity was the fact that Misa had English letters cut into her skin. Those letters were O, C, M, and another M. Altogether, that made seven letters: I, A, L, O, C, M, and M. I frowned deeply and then realized that there was another similarity. There was a thin line around Misa's neck, indicating that she had been choked or strangled to death, but I couldn't quite tell.

Light hesitated for a moment. "Letters," He murmured. "English letters. Like the one on Whammy...." He thought about all of the letters and had obviously came to the same conclusion that I had. These murders had a connection with each other. But what did that connection mean? Those letters...was it really just jibberish or was a clue? Could it be that this person was trying to send us a useful hint?

"L?" Light asked and pulled me out of my train of thought. I looked up at him questioningly. "...what do you think we should do with her?" He asked quietly.

I looked back down at Misa's corpse and surpressed a shudder. "I suppose we should turn her into the police, don't you agree? Maybe they could get another autopsy report and link these two deaths together."

Light nodded a little. He seemed to only half-heartedly agree with my suggestion though. I think he didn't want Misa to be examined. "Raito-kun?" I said quietly. Light looked at me. "what are we going to tell the others?"

I think my question pained Light. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands and sighed deeply. "We have to tell them that Misa is dead. We're going to have to tell them that she was here too. We can't lie about that," He decided.

I agreed. It would be wrong to lie about where Misa had been. We hadn't even told them she was here to begin with, but how could we? It was a secret that wasn't worth telling. "Alright. For now, we have to leave Miss Amane here. We'll come back and take her to the police. Is that alright, Raito-kun?"

"Yes. That's alright," Light said.

* * *

_3rd Person_

When Light and L came back, it was a little awkward. They stood around and looked depressed and beaten. Mello was the first to question them. "Did you find anything at the back-up house?" He asked curiously.

L and Light looked at each other and then nodded. "Yes. We did," Light said quietly.

Near frowned a little. "Nothing good, we're asuming. So what is it that you found?" He asked.

Light bit down hard on his lip and didn't say anything. "First, there is something we must tell you," L said slowly. "Miss Amane was at the back-up house. She was there for further questioning; we needed to know more about...something, so she was there. When we went to the back-up house a little bit ago though....Misa had been murdered; almost exactly like how Whammy had been murdered," He explained.

"Misa was at the fucking back-up house this entire time?!" Mello excalimed unhappily. "why didn't you tell us that?!"

"Because we knew you would react like that," L deadpanned.

Mello leaned back in his seat and mumbled unhappily.

Matt on the other hand, looked slightly interested. "What do you mean, almost exactly like how Whammy was murdered? Do you mean that...?" He asked. ((**L and Light had told Near and Matt the autopsy report but it was a lot less blunt than how the doctor had explained it; they know about the letters and what not**))

L nodded. "Yes. It does mean that," He said.

Mello just looked confused. "What are you talking about?" He deadpanned.

"Well, we didn't have enough time to tell you about Whammy's autopsy," L said simply. "what the doctor had found out was that Whammy had been strangled to death and there were English letters carved into his skin: A, L, and I. When we found Misa, we found that she too was strangled to death and there were English letters in her skin too: C, M, M, and O."

Mello thought about this for a moment. "Well, what's all of that supposed to mean? Laicomm? Malicom?" He asked.

L shrugged. "We don't know what it means and it might not be just one word. It could possibly be a phrase, but it's obviously not complete yet. Those letters wouldn't mean anything, no matter what order you put them in," He replied.

Then, Near got an idea. He took out a piece of paper and wrote down all seven letters they had so far. Then, he took scissors and cut those letters into each individual squares. Then, he sat in front of the coffee table and began rearranging them into an order.

Mello rolled his eyes. "Did you not just hear what L said? They're not going to mean anything," He pointed out.

"Yes. I know. But that doesn't mean we can't find the beginning of what this says...." Near said and rearranged the letters again.

L squatted next to Near and stared at the letters. "You could be onto something, Near. Maybe...." He took one of the letters and put it in the front.

Near frowned and read what they had so far.

"I was right. It's not complete yet," L said quietly.

"I hope it doesn't become complete," Near added.

L nodded. "I hope it doesn't either."

Mello leaned forward and read it. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"Do you not get it?" Near asked.

"Sort of......" Mello replied. "but there really isn't anything to get."

Near hesitated for a moment. "You're right. Right now, there really isn't anything."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Mello asked.

"We have to stop whoever's doing this, obviously," Light deadpanned.

"Thank-you, bastard."

* * *

FN.


	6. Hematophobia

**I just don't own Death Note.**

Hematophobia - The fear of blood

I'm sorry. I was not a good mood when I wrote this and I deeply apologize if it effected my writing in any way. Please forgive me. Also, I must apologize for the wait and the fact that this is incredibly short. I didn't mean for that to happen, but I think this chapter clears a lot of things up. Don't worry, next chapter, everything will become even more clearer.

* * *

_Near's P.O.V._

It has been two days since the finding of Misa's corpse. The police did an autopsy and found that, yes, L was correct. There was definitely a connection and those were definitely English letters. Today, there has been another murder though. The person murdered was a man this time. The man's name was Teru Mikami. While Matt, Mello, and I do not know much about him, L and Light seem to be quite shocked about the murder of him. They said that he was "Kira obsessive" and he got in the way during the original Kira case. While they looked like they were lying, we couldn't exactly "call them out" on it. We didn't have any proof to tell otherwise. And I suppose it doesn't exactly matter. He is dead now. It isn't the nicest thing to say, but he was obsessive about a murderer. That's not exactly somebody that would be a good person.

Anyhow, the police found Mikami and they did an autopsy before telling us about his murder. There is a link between him, Misa, and Whammy. Mikami was not strangled to death, but died from blood loss. There were cuts on his body also. These cuts also appeared to be the English letters: G, I, F, and N. Which can only mean that we have G, I, I, F, N, L, A, M, M, C, and O. This also means that we are that much closer to solving this puzzle. L and I have it mostly figured out, but we can't be exactly sure about what the ending is. We do hope that the end doesn't come. We hope we kind find this killer before he finishes this puzzle; it would not be good if he finishes it. Especially if it's going to end how we think it's going to end.

L and I decided against telling the others what we think it's going to end with. We don't want to scare them is basically why we're not telling them. I am actually starting to feel sorry for L. In the past two days, he has become quieter and eats less and less every day. He obviously hasn't been sleeping (I don't know if he was to start with), but now you can tell that it's really starting to effect him. And he still has to plan Whammy's funeral. I asked him about that and he had told me that the preparations were almost complete. The funeral would be in England next to Whammy's Orphanage. We all decided that it was the best place to have his funeral. We think he would've liked that.

Currently, Matt and Mello are at the crime scene where Mikami was murdered. The two haven't exactly made up yet, but they're on basic communicating grounds. But, I suppose none of us are above basic communicating grounds. There is so much tension when we're all in the same room, it is practically unbearable. I'm surprising myself by saying so. Stress is the obviously main reason for the tension. We all appear to be stressed and we all have a reason to be. Well...I suppose _I _don't have a valid reason, but I find myself stressed anyway. Maybe I'm stressed because everybody else is stressed. ...once we find this murderer and get Whammy's funeral over with, we are going to go on a very, very long vacation. I will make sure of that.

I appear to be getting side-tracked a lot. I suppose I should say more on the current happenings. While Matt and Mello are at the crime scene, L, Light, and I are at the hideout. L is planning the rest of the funeral, Light is playing Solitaire, and I am simply sitting on the ground continuing the puzzle that I had started at noon. It is currently 4:03 p.m. Mello and Matt should be back any minute; they had left around 1:30.

As if on cue, Matt and Mello entered the room. They both appeared to be dissheveled and confused. But on the other-hand, they looked like they found something interesting. I suppose I should pay attention to what they say; it might help this case.

"Hey...L? I think we found something at the crime scene," Mello said slowly. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Now he looked slightly nervous. It was as if he wasn't sure of himself which is strange. Mello was always seemed like he knew what he was doing and why he was doing it. Now, I think he was questioning himself.

L looked up from his computer. He hesitated for a moment. "What did you find?" He asked curiously. He put his thumb to his lips and absent-mindedly chewed on his thumb-nail.

Mello now looked uncomfortable. "Well...it's not exactly a clue or anything...Matt and I just thought it was suspicious..." He said. "and it happened at every single crime scene. We didn't think anything of it at first...but now...well, we think it could mean something."

L now gave Mello his full attention. "Go on," He said. "what is it?"

Now it was Matt that spoke. "At all of the crime scenes, the murderer got rid of all finger-prints," He said. "but that's the just beginning of it. They didn't just get rid of their own finger-prints; they got rid of every single finger-print in the entire room or house. With Whammy's murder, the lobby was practically scubbed clean. In the back-up house, the whole house didn't have a trace of dust or finger-prints or anything of the sort. Now, at Mikami's house, his entire house was cleaned; literally. Everything was picked up, and all the finger-prints were gone," Matt explained. (1)

L frowned and seemed to freeze entirely. "This happened at all of the crime-scenes...as to not leave a trace but as to also-..." It was almost as if L was thinking aloud. He looked a little confused and then realization came to him. It was as if all of the sudden everything made sense. "Of course! Why didn't I think-? Matt, Mello, thank-you for this valuable information." Then, he stood up and picked up one of his cell-phones on the coffee table. "if you'll excuse me, I have to make one quick phone call." Then, he left the room.

All of us seemed to look at each other, wondering if someone else knew what he was talking about. But, none of us had a clue, so we sort of...went back to what we were doing. Except, now, we had Matt and Mello in the room. Mello ate his chocolate and Matt pulled out his Nintendo DSi. I wondered absent-mindedly how long this was going to take. I did not like being left out of things, especially when L was involved ((which has a double-meaning xD)).

It took L a full ten minutes just to get back to us. But when he came back, he didn't look too happy. No...he looked more angered and sad than happy. He hesitated before speaking again. "It appears, we have a slight problem. I know who the killer is; I've actually known all along, but your clue just put everything together for me," He said slowly.

Mello gave L a tired and annoyed look. "Quit it with the fucking dramatics, L. Just tell us who the killer is so we can get on with our lives," He deadpanned simply. I had to admit, I sort of agreed with Mello. I didn't want to wait for L to tell us who it was.

L looked like Mello's statement had pained him in some way. He looked down at his feet. "The murderer is BB," He replied quietly.

Everything went silent. Matt stopped playing his video-game, Light stopped clicking on the computer, and Mello just looked dumb-struck.

"You've got to be kidding. It can't be him; it can't be that psycho," Mello denied. He didn't want it to be B; I was willing to bet that none of us wanted it to be could have been a_nyone _but B.

L hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I'm afraid it is. Everything points to him. He's giving us...or maybe just me, a message from all of those people he's killed so far. All of those letters will make a message; I'm sure of it. He also broke out of jail two months ago, and that clue of everything being cleaned puts it all together. B does things so that he'll be noticed. He-." And then, the phone went off and interrupted L.

Mello simply reached over and picked it up without taking his eyes off of L. "What?" He asked emotionlessly. Then, he frowned and looked at Matt. He held out the phone. "It's for you," He said simply.

Matt took the phone and then hesitated. He held it up to his ear. "Hello...?" He asked quietly. He frowned a little and looked down at his DSi. He touched something on it with the stylus. "Yeah," He said and then started to write something. We sat there in silence, watching him, until he stopped. "What do you mean?" He asked. He waited. Then, Matt's eyes grew wide. "Okay...I get it," He said quietly and then hung up.

We waited.

Matt looked down at his DSi and then looked up at us. Well, not at us, he looked at directly at Light. "Why didn't you tell us that you were _Kira_?" He deadpanned simply.

* * *

One word. CLIFF-HANGER.

FIN.

AU/: (1) - Yes. That is directly from a book and I am not going to take credit for it. It's from the L.A. B.B. Murder Cases.


End file.
